Structural and immunogenic characteristics of goose parvovirus virus-like particles.

Goose parvovirus (GPV) is a highly lethal infectious pathogen primarily affecting goslings under one month old, with infection resulting in nearly 100 % mortality. However, no recombinant vaccine has been proven effective in preventing GPV infection. This study aims to structurally characterize GPV virus-like particles (VLPs) produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and three-dimensional reconstruction, to explore potential binding receptors, and to preliminarily verify the immunogenicity of GPV VLPs. The results show that GPV VLPs produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae have the correct conformation and structural assembly, share structural features common to the Parvoviridae family and exhibits significant sequence and structural similarity to adeno-associated virus (AAV). The results of ELISA demonstrated that GPV doesn't bind to sialic acid (SIA), heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) and homolog of AAV receptor (AAVR) in vitro. Additionally, our animal trials demonstrate that GPV VLPs produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can trigger effective protection for geese from GPV infection. This study investigates the structural and immunological characteristics of GPV VLPs, presenting an innovative approach for the development of efficacious and cost-effective genetically engineered vaccines.